1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system and apparatus useful for supporting and protecting the head (including without limitation the face, skull and brain) and neck of a user by damping and distributing forces to which they would otherwise be subjected during sudden acceleration, deceleration or impact. Such forces can arise, for example, during a collision between the user and an animate or inanimate object, no matter whether accidental or intentional.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years much attention has been drawn to the causes and effects of head, neck and brain injuries due to concussive forces experienced by persons engaged in activities such as, for example and without limitation: football; baseball; soccer; hockey; lacrosse; boxing; bull riding; skiing; snowboarding; skateboarding; sky-diving; base jumping; bicycling; motorcycling; riding all-terrain vehicles; car or boat racing; piloting aircraft; performing military, law-enforcement or fire-fighting operations or maneuvers; other vehicular maneuvers, fire-fighting, and the like. Historically, efforts to lessen the risk or likelihood of serious physiological injury when engaging in such activities have focused on providing a helmet or other headwear comprising one or more of an outer shell or cover in combination with cushioning pads, collapsible layers, or other impact-absorbing structures or materials intended to protect the head of the user from impact or injury.
Despite the improvements to headwear that have been made in recent years, such devices or apparatus are still typically configured in such manner that the neck is required to support the weight of both the head and the protective headwear, sometimes supplemented by neck cushions or collars disposed or worn between the head and shoulders of the user. Because the weight of the prior art protective headwear is supported primarily by the neck of the user, designers are further constrained in the design of headwear by the need to make the headwear relatively lightweight or risk further physiological damage or injury due to the combined weight of the head and headwear. Also, conventional protective headwear typically does not limit either the rate or range of motion of the head or neck relative to other parts of the body when subjected to acceleration, deceleration or impact.
A system and apparatus are needed that will support the head and neck, and supplement the protective features of conventional headwear by dampening and dissipating forces otherwise applied to the head and neck during a collision or impact; by distributing the dissipated forces to the shoulders, chest and back of a user without passing through and risking injury to the neck and cervical vertebrae; and by limiting the rate and range of motion permitted to the head and neck relative to the shoulders, chest and back of a user.